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grand lake or just estes park for Rocky Mt National Park visit?

Our family of 4, with kids aged 1 and 4, will have 8 full days in the area, including 4 days that we have to spend in estes park for my husband's conference.We plan to spend the first 3 days in boulder visiting friends and acclimatizing the kids, since we live at sea level. From there, do you recommend 6 days based in estes, or 2 in grand lake and 4 in estes, or another option? We are into nature and hiking, though the hikes will all be easy hikes that a 4 year old can do.

We will do the drive through the park one day, and an advantage to only staying in estes is that we can choose which day based on weather.

I would broaden your horizon. I would be more concerned with the adults acclimatizing than the kids. The kids will be fine but the acclimatizing will be limited. On average you adjust about a 1000 feet per day. So just be carefully and drink lot of water as you needs to make about 20% more red corpuscles to carry the oxygen.

Estes Park is just on the edge of the mountains. I would consider moving another hundred miles into the heart of the mountains. Somewhere like Frisco or Breckenridge depending on what you like. Frisco is the heart of the bike paths through Summit Cty. From there you could do a couple of day trips through Leadville to Aspen and around through Glenwood Canyon.

Great hiking, better on bikes, trail in Leadville called the Mineral Belt trail.

Need to watch the weather and bring warm clothing. While the weather should be very pleasant in late September, it can also be cold and snowy at the higher elevations.

"8 full days in the area, including 4 days that we have to spend in estes park for my husband's conference.We plan to spend the first 3 days in boulder"

Does this mean 3 (Boulder) + 4 (Estes Park conference) leaving 1 day? That would preclude travel farther west into Colorado. If you are limited to the EP-Grand Lake area, you might think about staying a bit past Grand Lake, in Winter Park (http://www.winterparkresort.com, check out "summer") and enjoying the mountain and area activities there.

Sorry, to clarify, we'll arrive on Friday, depart Boulder on Sunday, and have to be in Estes Park on Wednesday. So we'll have 2 full days/3 nights to either spend in Estes Park or eleswhere. I'm wondering if it's worth going to Grand Lake for a few days, or elsewhere, though we don't want to drive too much with little ones who get antsy in the car.

Also, I am more concerned about my kids than my and my husband's acclimatization since my husband and I already know how we handle different altitudes, whereas our kids haven't been above about 5,000 ft. Even 3 nights does help some, at least in my experience.

You may think you know, but I am often surprised when I go to Denver--sometimes easy, sometimes not. I don't think you need all the time to do it you are describing. WATER WATER WATER--and make the kids DO it. That is the ultimate acclimization.
I would do something like Fmden suggested--now that we know your day schedule. Go on to Frisco/Breckenridge for a couple of days. Breck has a good recreation center the kids might enjoy.
Then come back through Grand Lake to the western entrance of the RMNP and go on to Estes.
It would be a shame not to enjoy more of the mountains. Actually on the way to Frisco on i70 you can do a gold mine tour and a train ride in Idaho Springs.

The train is in Georgetown at the foot of the climb to the tunnels. Called the Georgetown loop.

Cause and effects of altitude sickness is not well understood. You can go to high altitude four times with no problems and have a reaction on the fifth time. The drive from Boulder to Breckenridge if about two hours if you go via Golden and three using Boulder canyon. Either way you can break it at Georgetown.

I am one of the locals on this site that gets accused of not liking E Park because it is not my first recommendation. There is a lot more to Colorado than just E Park. To me it is overly touristy especially in September. However, the drive over Trail Ridge Road is terrific as is the park. Just not a big fan of E Park.

Note that late September is the elk rut in RMNP, one of the premier wildlife events in the western USA, IMHO. You are there at a good time to see that, several good viewing places near Estes.

The suggested loop of Summit County -> Grand Lake -> Estes is a classic and well worth doing. Checked Google maps for driving times and see if that fits into your comfort zone.

Do keep an eye on the weather forecast as mentioned. An early storm can close Trail Ridge Road for a while.

Acclimatization is unpredictable. I've spent months above 14,000' on various trips so have some experience. As Gretchen says drink water, water, water! But spending a few nights in Boulder first will definitely help.

This is great advice, thank you all. I generally dislike touristy towns near great parks (Gaitlinburg TN, Jackson WY) so I like the idea of not just being in Estes Park. My son would love that train, and the trip from Boulder to Georgetown to Grand Lake isn't too much to do after we leave after breakfast on Sunday. I'll also look up Breckenridge, though, in case it's not too pricey for a few nights. Thank you again, and more advice is always very appreciatedd!

Just to clarify, if you drive I-70 West, you won't go all the way to Georgetown if you are headed to Grand Lake. You'd take the Empire/Winter Park exit, drive over Berthoud Pass through Winter Park, Tabernash and Granby. The road to Grand Lake connects right near Granby.

Going to Georgetown puts you at the top of the Eisenhower tunnel entrance, and heads down to Summit County. You can get to Grand Lake that direction, but it's a LONG drive.

Berthoud Pass is not as scary as people make it out to be. Especially in September.

But if they want to go to Georgetown and Frisco they continue on I70. Then returning to get to Estes Park they can take Route 9 at Silverthorne to Kremmling and then 34 (?) over to Grand Lake and the western entrance to RMNP.
No one is talking about Berthoud Pass being scary in September.

That's a LONG route, and they don't want to drive too much with the kiddos.

Which is why I recommended they skip Summit County, go to Grand County through Winter Park, and take the Grand Lake entrance to RMNP:
"I suggest a loop from Boulder to Grand Lake to Estes. That's a lot less driving than going to Breckenridge first, then Grand Lake, and Estes."

The OP only has two nights/three days to fill.

Gretchen, no need to get defensive. People in general think Berthoud is scary. That's all I'm saying.

It isn't all that far really, and several of us are suggesting that a trip deeper into the mountains like Frisco would be fun--as would the train--for the kids. They have 3 days before they need to be in Estes Park.
We have actually done that loop--through the Park and down the other side, even stopping to fly fish.
It is just another suggestion--IF they decide to do summit county.
For the OP, to give you an idea, of distance/time, from Denver to Frisco is under 2 hours driving time. Someone could tell you from Boulder, and Georgetown is before Frisco/Breckenridge.

They only have two nights, and don't want to drive that much. I don't get the Summit County fixation myself.

Last time I drove that back route, from Vail over to Tabernash, it was in the summer and it took almost two hours. They are driving further than that, to Grand Lake and into the park?? Doesn't make sense just to see Summit. There's plenty to do in Grand County.

For a scenic route:
From Boulder, I'd go up Boulder Canyon (119), go through Nederland, stay on 119 up to Central City, then take the new Central City Parkway to I-70. On I70 west to 40, over Berthoud Pass, down into Winter Park (lots of places to stay, things to do). An easy drive (the day you need to be in Estes) on 40 to 34, past Shadow Mt. Lake and Lake Granby (lunch at Grand Lake Lodge: http://grandlakelodge.rtrk.com/?scid=2162754&kw=14863663&pub_cr_id=9339692628B) and then over Trail Ridge Road right into Estes Park.

The nice thing about Estes Park is a large selection of accommodations, restaurants and activities for the kids, especially since you will only be doing short hikes, you'll need something else for the kids to do the rest of the day (miniature golf, marina, family amusement park, etc)!

If you think the kids won't get too bored, I would make the scenic drive across the park on Trail Ridge Road - at least up to the visitor's center. They have a nice gift shop and cafeteria up there to stop for lunch/snack.

The best hiking is on the east side of the park (Estes Park area), and there are lots of easy hikes to choose from: